At first glance, Lux could seem more like a challenging academic quiz than the latest pop record by an artist whose last single was a collaboration with a global pop star. Divided across four different parts and voiced in 13 tongues, we have a dizzying orchestral-influenced opus exploring female mystique, religious ascent, and bodily transformation, frequently by way of the perspective of various saintly figures. The end of a romance—a topic handled with grounded openness elsewhere—is launched skyward on this record, buoyed by the constant presence of a full symphony orchestra and work from a Pulitzer-winning songwriter within a vast list of contributors. The pure ambition alone makes the efforts of contemporary artists look quite small.
Transcending Academic Pretense
That Lux manages to escape overly intellectual chin-stroking is nearly a miracle, and sole praise belonging to Rosalía. Although it's not the first time album to blend historical sounds with the present, its scale are far greater here, and the tightrope walk more precarious. The element that really raises her fourth album, outside of its complex melodies, rich compositions, and inherent theatricality, is a core spirit of fun. Much like the legendary Björk at her peak, there is a wondrous sense to the vocalist's voice that pulls the listener into its whirlwind. When she is breaking your heart in two, you still desire to stay right there through the ride.
A Prime Example of Exuberance
That playful spirit shines clearly on a stunning Italian song inspired by Saint Clare. It bathes in a string-drenched whirlpool for more than four minutes. Then, all the music drops away, and we hear a gleeful giggle followed by a comment prior to a hilariously exaggerated orchestral crescendo crashes down with cartoonish impact. The track immediately segues into the frenetic track featuring racing orchestration, an imposing choral group, and a cameo role from the artist Björk.
"The magic with Lux is that you rarely quite understand—or even want to know—where you will go next."
Nearly each track concludes at a completely different place from where it started. A track examines the fleeting nature of fame over a featherlight orchestration before disintegrating into electronic chaos. Another, a cut echoing the artist's previous trap-infused style starts out moody and brooding, with prowling beats, before sudden traditional rhythms and a heavenly chorus enter to soften the song's jagged corners.
The Balance Of Art and Accessibility
A key balancing act on the album is navigating the gap between bold innovation and broad appeal. This is no surprise that it has achieved the artist's first work to break into the Top 5 of key charts: at its core a suite of utterly undeniable hits. A song performed primarily in English builds on a chorus that feels to collect more and more nagging hooks as it spirals upward. This trick gets repeated by a different expansive track that expands and contracts, intertwining layered melodies like a complex weave.
- A dance-infused song seduces via its jaunty, theatrical drama and an anthemic chorus.
- Lyrically, it shares the pop culture impact of contemporary breakup anthems, eviscerating an ex- partner labeled an "emotional terrorist".
- Across these tracks, the singing have a painted-on smile, like a storybook figure hiding a blade: "Gold medal in being a motherfucker / You've won the trophy of letdown."
An Opulent Feast for the Ears
This album is pop on a grand level, a hungry reach for high artistry amid of looming artificial blankness. It eschews solipsism in favor of sublime transcendence, crafting a dramatic drama that masterfully manages its own built-in excess. This is a deep source of buried treasure that requires time to fully mine but doesn't seem like hard work. Where other big releases of the year seemed like feasting on scraps, Lux offers a sumptuous banquet at which the guests at the table, some tipsy on holy drink, flit from conversations about ancient saints, the profound sensation of soul-shattering sadness, and common gossip about useless partners. In essence, it's a modern-day theatrical production from music's truly endlessly creative practitioner.
